In a world saturated with influencers promoting products and lifestyles, a new breed of social media personalities is emerging, and they call themselves de-influencers. So, what are de-influencers, and which ones should you follow?
What Are De-Influencers?
De-influencers typically operate to dissuade their audiences from purchasing certain products and succumbing to overconsumption. In a world of mindless materialism, de-influencers are here to flip the script on traditional influencer culture and embrace authenticity on global platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Audiences view peer reviews as highly genuine, making de-influencers more powerful than they may seem. After all, people value recommendations and opinions from those they see as other ‘ordinary’ consumers.
Top De-Influencers To Follow
@kayli.boyle
With over 900k followers, Kayli Boyle has a lot of influence on TikTok. One of her videos shows Kayli de-influencing audiences from purchasing many different products. She claims to have bought hundreds of products from TikTok and YouTube and discovered that many of those products that went viral didn’t live up to her expectations.To prevent others from falling for the same good reviews, Kayli made it her mission to create de-influencing content to ward others away from products such as Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen, Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, and Olaplex products.
@overcoming_overspending
Paige Pritchard has created a popular TikTok account with over 657k followers and 3.5 million likes. As one of the top de-influencers to watch out for, Paige posts videos to discourage impulse shopping, making her audience think twice about what they are actually consuming to reach their full financial potential.
@alyssastephanie
Meet Alyssa, a Dallas-situated de-influencer with 158k followers and 5.7 million likes and counting. This empowering woman works to de-influence concerning beauty products that she doesn’t think are all they are cracked up to be. In a recent TikTok video, she encourages people to save thousands of dollars on health and beauty and promotes money-saving products from marketplaces like Amazon instead. For example, she tells her audience they don’t need expensive hair oils to help hair growth, suggesting that The Ordinary’s multi-peptide serum is the real deal.
@morganturnermakeup
TikToker Morgan Turner puts the spotlight on makeup brands and products for not living up to high expectations. She has over 278k followers and 12.3 million likes, demonstrating the extent of her popularity and the importance of power she may hold over shaping people’s opinions. She also spreads the word on YouTube as a Miami makeup reviewer.
@michelle-skidelsky
Last but not least, Canadian de-influencer Michelle Skidelsky recently told over 180k followers not to purchase a new wardrobe at the beginning of a new season. She warns against overconsumption, particularly overbuying summer accessories, and preaches to make do with what you have.
A New Perspective
De-influencing has helped us look at popular products and brands from a different perspective and has taught us that not everything is as good as some influencers say. All in all, de-influencing can encourage us to stop overspending and overconsuming, making it a win-win for our bank accounts and the environment alike!
